Collapsible receptacle



March 5, 1968 F. M. RICCI COLLAPSIBLE RECEPTACLE 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Oct. 22, 1965 1 Z w M, m x w 1 7% United States Patent 3,371,816 COLLAPSIBLE RECEPTACLE Fausto M. Ricci, 1090 Carolyn Way, Beverly Hills, Calif. 90210 Filed Oct. 22, 1965, Ser. No. 501,428 3 Claims. (Cl. 220-4) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A collapsible receptacle having a base, a pair of side walls removably afiixed to the base, a pair of end walls removably afiixed to the base and to the side walls and a cover covering said side walls and end walls and removably positioned thereon and means provided on the outside of said base and said cover permitting the interlocking for vertical storage with similarly constructed receptacles.

My invention relates to the improvement in collapsible receptacle, and particularly light weight receptacles manufactured of expanded polystyrene or other thermo-plastic material, provided with interlocking features for eflicient handling and compact storage when in use, and so constructed and arranged as to permit compact shipping when in the collapsed state during non-use; and the objects of my invention are, first, to provide a collapsible receptacle manufactured of thermo-plastic or equivalent material requiring a minimum amount of space when not in use, and capable of being assembled into a container; second, to provide a collapsible receptacle having affixed to the top and bottom base thereof, interlocking features permitting the vertical interlocking of similar receptacles placed in vertical alignment therewith; third to provide a collapsible receptacle manufactured of expandable polystyrene or other thermo-plastic material, having a base, a pair of side walls, a pair of end walls and a cover, and having interlocking features for vertical storage with similar receptacles, which can be cheaply produced and easily assembled and require for its manufacture only three parts of dissimilar shape.

Additional objects, together with further advantages derived in utilizing the present invention, will become apparent from the following detailed description thereof, taken together with the accompanying drawing forming part of the specification in which- FIGURE 1 is an exploded view in perspective of my collapsible receptacle;

'FIGURE 2 is a plane view of a base of my collapsible receptacle;

FIGURE 3 is an elevational view of a side wall of my collapsible receptacle showing vertical indentations and a partial removal of the material covering such indentations when in use;

FIGURE 4 is an enlarged fragmentary cross-sectional view of a comer joining a side wall and an end-wall taken on line 4-4 of FIGURE 3;

FIGURE 5 is an enlarged fragmentary elevational view partially broken away and in section showing a corner joining an end wall to a base;

FIGURE 6 is an enlarged fragmentary elevational view of a corner of my base partially broken away and in section; and

FIGURE 7 is a side elevational view showing two collapsible receptacles interlocked in vertical alignment when in use.

Similar numerals refer to similar parts throughout the several views.

My invention, described in the accompanying drawings, includes generally a base, 10, a side wall, 11, and an end between each side and the wall, 12, assembled in pairs to form the collapsible receptacle.

The base, 10, is formed by a substantially rectangular sheet, manufactured preferably of expanded polystyrene or other thermo-plastic material. On one side of the base, a U-shaped rectangular channel, 13, is provided at a predetermined distance from, and surrounding the periphery of the base, 10.

A plurality of straight and L-shaped ridges providing the interlocking features of my invention, are disposed on the other side of the base.

dEach ridge has a fiat top portion and outwardly slanted S1 es.

Two L-shaped ridges, 14, 15, spaced parallel to each other a predetermined distance apart are integrally joined to the base about each of two diagonally disposed corners, 16, 17, of the base. The L-shaped ridges, 14, 15, are spaced a predetermined distance from each corner, 16, 17, about which such ridges are respectively placed and further spaced a predetermined distance apart from each other so that the space therebetween will permit the positioning of ridges placed about the remaining corners when two bases are placed in an inverted relation to each other in interlocking position.

Two L-shaped ridges, 18, 19, spaced. parallel to each other a predetermined distance apart and integrally joined to the base, 10, are positioned about each of the remaining diagonal corners, 20, 21, of the base, 10, in such a manner that the ridge, 18, nearest the corner, 20, is the same distance from the corner, 20, as the center line of the space between L-shaped ridges, 14, 1.5, on each of the adjacent corners, 16, 17, is from such adjacent corner.

A plurality of longitudinal ridges, 22, spaced parallel to each other a predetermined distance apart, extend from one longitudinal edge, 23, of the base transversely to the longitudinal center line of the base and are there offset a distance equal to the width of one ridge and extend to the opposite longitudinal edge, 24.

If an uneven number of ridges is used, as shown in FIGURE 1, the center ridge of the plurality of ridges will be equidistant from adjacent corners of the base, and if an even number of ridges is used, the space between the center pair of ridges will be equidistant from adjacent nated to the inside of the cover having a width narrower.

than the inside of the cover so as to form a channel, 28,

adjacent upturned end, 27, of the cover, 25, and protrudes at the top and bottom thereof for a distance equal to the depth of the U-shaped channel, 13, provided in the base, 10.

The end walls, 12, comprise two rectangular sheets laminated integrally to each other, the inside sheet, 30, extending beyond the edges of the outside sheet, 31, for a predetermined distance equal to the depth of the U- shaped channel, 13, provided in the base, 10.

On the inner surface of the side wall, 11, a plurality of parallel vertical U-shaped grooves, 32,, are disposed in spaced relation to each other extending into the side Wall to a predetermined depth. A covering, 33, preferably consisting of paper or similar material of a predetermined tensile strength, is glued or laminated to the inner surface of the side wall, 11, over said grooves, 32-.

A similar construction of parallel vertical U-shaped grooves, 32, in spaced relation to each other and having a pre-selected depth are provided in the end wall, 12, and are likewise covered by a suitable covering, 33, consisting of paper or similar material of pre-selected tensile strength.

Patented Mar. 5, 1958 When being assembled to form a receptacle, two side walls, 11, 11, are connected to the base by inserting the protrusion at the bottom of the inset, 26, into the U-shaped channel, 13, disposed along the longitudinal edge of the base, 10.

A pair of end walls is then connected to a pair of side walls and to the base by sliding the inside sheet, 30, of each end wall, 12, into the channel, provided in each side wall between the upturned end, 27, of the cover, 25, and the inset, 26, until the inside sheet, 30, comes to rest within the U-shaped channel, 13, provided in the base along the edge of the short side of the base.

If a cover is desired, a base will be disposed on top of the open receptacle formed by the base, side walls, and end walls, and depressed until the U-shaped channel, 13, of the base, 10, is fitted upon that part of the inset, 26, of each side wall, 11, protruding at the top of the cover and the extension of the inside sheet, 30, above the outside sheet, 31, of each end wall, 29.

If it is desired to store vertically two or more receptacles, the second receptacle is horizontally inverted and placed upon the first receptacle in such a manner that L-shaped ridges of two diagonally spaced corners of the receptacle will be placed between parallel sets of ridges of the two remaining corners of the receptacle, causing thereby the receptacles to interlock and giving the receptacles lateral, as well as vertical stability during storage.

Additional receptacles may be stacked vertically by being alternately horizontally inverted to permit the interlocking of the respective ridges as described above.

When not in use, two pairs each of a base, side wall,

and end wall, may be stored opposite to each other, decreasing thereby the storage space required for receptacles not in use to a minimum volume.

I It is understood that various forms of my invention may be used or utilized, embodying the principles of my invention, without departing from the spirit of my invention.

I claim:

1. A collapsible receptacle of the class described including a base of substantial rectangular shape having a lower side and an upper side, and having a U-shaped channel of predetermined depth provided at a predetermined distance from and surrounding the periphery of the base on the lower side, L-shaped ridges spaced about two diagonally disposed corners a predetermined distance apart from each other and from said corners, the space between ridges being equal in size and shape to a single ridge, a plurality of ridges spaced a predetermined distance from the remaining corners a predetermined distance apart from each other, the ridge nearest such corner being of the same distance to such corner as the space between the ridges closest to the first named corners, a plurality of longitudinal ridges spaced parallel to each other a predetermined distance apart extending from one longitudinal edge of the base transversely to the longitudinal center line of the base and being there ofiset a distance equal to the width of one ridge and extending to the opposite longitudinal edge of said base in such a manner that if such plurality of longitudinal ridges comprises an uneven number of ridges, the center ridge of such plurality of ridges will be equidistant from adjacent corners of the base; a side wall comprising a cover of substantially retangular shape having upturned ends and an inset in tegrally laminated to the inside of said cover having a Width narrower than the inside of the cover so as to form a channel between each side thereof and the adjacent upturned end of the cover and protruding at the top and bottom thereof beyond the edge of the cover for a distance equal to the depth of the U-shaped channel provided in the base; and an end wall comprising an inside sheet integrally laminated to an outside sheet, said inside sheet extending beyond the edges of the outside sheet a predetermined distance equal to the depth of the U-shaped channel provided in the base.

2. A collapsible receptacle having the elements described in claim 1 including an inside sheet and an inset, each having a plurality of parallel vertical U-shaped grooves in spaced relation to each other and having a preselected depth and being covered by a sheet of non-elastic material of preselected tensile strength laminated to said inside sheet and to said inset.

3. A collapsible receptacle of the class described including a base of substantially rectangular shape having a U-shaped channel surrounding the periphery of the base at a predetermined distance from the edge thereof, a pair of side walls comprising a cover having upturned ends and an inset laminated to the inside of said cover and having sides in spaced relation to said upturned ends and forming a channel therebetween and having a lower edge and an upper edge, the lower edge of each inset being removably aflixed within the U-shaped channel adjacent to each longitudinal side of said base, and end walls each comprising two rectangular sheets laminated integrally to each other, the inside sheet extending beyond the edges of the outside sheet and each being removably disposed within the U-shaped channel adjacent to each short side of the base and within the channel formed between each inset and each upturned end of each side wall.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,893,588 7/1959 Martin 220-4 2,919,826 1/1960 Richter 220'4 X 3,032,381 5/1962 Boro 22097 X 3,073,476 1/ 1963 Heacock 2204 FOREIGN PATENTS 123,192 12/ 1946 Australia.

THERON E. CONDON, Primary Examiner.

GEORGE E. LOWRANCE, Examiner. 

